In a campaign speech, President Obama promised that in his second term the government begin paying for college – for everyone.

In a speech, President Obama promised that at some point in his second term the government begin paying for college – for everyone.

Student loan debt is a major concern for many Americans and has now become a major issue.

President Obama told an enthusiastic audience in Ohio that he is going to push for the government to provide free college education to every American.

“College is a right, not a privilege,” Obama reportedly told the ground. “Every American deserves to go to a college and the government needs to pay for it. We need to give everyone a fair shot at success.”

Obama pointed out that college costs have soared at a rate faster than health-care costs. Since 1980, the cost of living has nearly doubled; health-care costs have quadrupled, and college tuitions and fees have exploded eight times over.

This has had two major effects. “For the first time ever, the current generation is less well-educated than the previous one and the percentage of college graduates between the ages of 25-34 has dropped to 31 out of 36 developed nations.

“We need to do something to help our students,” said a senior White House adviser.

Obama is calling for free public higher education and also wants to write-off of existing debt. “During my second term, I will forgive all student loan debt,” Obama reportedly told the crowd.

Michelle Obama is also pushing the idea of free college for all:

White House insiders told WWN that making public college free for everyone isn’t a radical idea. The United States led the world in making K-12 public education free. After World War II, the GI Bill provided college or advanced training for a generation of veterans. This not only avoided mass unemployment as the troops demobilized, it also provided the United States with the best educated citizenry in the world and was central to building the broad middle class that made America exceptional.

“Making public colleges free would cost, it is estimated, somewhere around $30 billion a year. We could afford it,” said the President.

President Obama said he will start paying for college for students in the following states: Ohio, Florida, Virginia, Colorado, Iowa, New Hampshire, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.

“We’re also going to give students in Ohio some ‘walking-around-money’ and some cash for clothing and… beers,” Obama told the crowd.